First To Go, Last To Know
by Doug-E-Fresh
Summary: The Covenant has attacked the finest colonies of Earth's interstellar empire in Alpha Centauri, and the largest battle of the HumanCovenant war has begun. On the local capital world of Constantinople, a group of Marines take the fight to the Covenant.


**1800 Hours, July 20****th****, 2530 (Military Calendar)**

**Alpha Centauri Penta-Solar System**

**Main Sequence Star (AC-1) "Helios" System**

**Planet: "Constantinople"**

**UNSC Alpha Centauri Theatre of Operations**

The soldiers of the 1st Battalion 9th Marines - Drop Jet Platoon Charlie or the "First To Go Last To Know" as they were also

known, sat quietly in the dim red light of the interiors of their stealth equipped Pelican Dropships. In dropship Tango-136, none of the

soldiers spoke a single word while the black dropships descended to the surface of Constantinople. Instead, they all sat thinking, with

blank stares. Among them, the air was thick with a heavy, uneasy peace. Some of the battle weary Marines thought about home, about

their loved ones that they have left behind to fight a war that the UNSC (United Nations Space Command) was losing…badly. Others

thought about their friends and fellow Marines that had died fighting the Covenant. Still there were others that prayed to their god,

whoever or whatever it was to them, for strength and courage that this band of brothers would need for the endeavor before them.

Even after seeing their Marine brothers and fellow Humans die around them and after witnessing firsthand the relentless extermination of

their entire race, their faithfulness was strong, and the Marine's common values were still alive, deep within their hearts. In silence, the

Marines sat, steeling themselves for the blood that was surely coming and thought with clarity and concentration about their mission.

Their orders were clear, the Marines new their objective. Their minds, sharpened. There was going to be a lot of shooting. And their

hearts, one. They wanted to avenge their fallen comrades, bring victory, glory and honor to Earth and be the heroes that they always

wanted to be.

One Marine, 1st Lieutenant Hal McConnell, aboard Tango-136, was the only man standing in his dropship. He stood, mentally

running through a list of things that could go sour when McConnell and his soldiers made landfall, and there were too many. He turned

his thoughts to his platoon, now his only family, and looked at them in their ODST Combat Skins, the dim red light shining down on

their cold black armor, giving them a fearsome, predatory aura. He had been fighting and bleeding with these Marines on the battlefield

ever since the war with the Covenant started, and he had learned that blood was, indeed, thicker than water. McConnell and his

Marines had bled a lot together, and, after many, many battles, they thought of each other as brothers. McConnell's Marines were

unique, though. They were Special Forces, their existence derived from the United States Marine Corps Force Recon units of old

Earth. Their training and equipment, as well as bravado, was on par with that of the Orbital Drop Shock Trooper units. The only

difference is, the DJP-Charlie weren't as expendable as the ODST's. The Drop Jet Platoons weren't all volunteer outfits like the

ODST units were; you had to be selected and specially trained to earn the twin lightening bolt insignia. These Marines usually took on

missions twice as suicidal as the ODST's did, but in this case, they were outfitted for a stealth op. - intelligence gathering and deep

recon. This time, they were going in to stir up the hornet's nest, and then get the hell out. Wham, bam, thank you ma'am.

Still, these Marines were not invincible. The Covenant were about to prove that here, in Alpha Centauri…

* * *

Alpha Centauri was the collective cluster of 5 sun-like main sequence stars, all of which were 5 to 7 light-years away from each

other, and each one having its own terrestrial solar system, which all had a treasure of rich, moist, fertile, habitable, Earth-like planets.

In the following decades of the first survey teams' discoveries and studies of Alpha Centauri, there was a magnificent endeavor of

coordinated colonization by the UNSC. Every one of Alpha Centauri's solar systems' worlds were rapidly settled by colonists, and the

colonies developed powerful, booming economies in the following years. The "Centaurians", as colonists of Alpha Centauri came to be

called collectively, developed new innovative sciences, agriculture, manufacturing and trade in a span of a few decades, when such

advances regularly took ,more or less, a century with Earth's other colonies.

In Alpha Centauri, the solar systems were named after the titans of the mythology of ancient Greece and the planets were named

after places of glory and power of Earth's ancient world. For example, the first star system to be settled by the Human colonists was

named the "Helios" system, in honor of the Greek titan of the sun. The first official colony of the entire Alpha Centauri system was set

up in the Helios System, and was established on the fifth body furthest from Helios. It was a small, soft planet, rich in all things. Bigger

than Sol's Mars, but smaller than Sol's Venus, it became the capital colony of the Colonial Confederation of Alpha Centauri, and it was

named "Constantinople", in honor of the greatest city of the ancient Eastern Roman Empire of Old Earth. The 4 other solar systems of

AlphaCentauri and their planets were named in similar ways, and soon, the "Cronus", "Rhea", "Ophion" and "Crius" systems were

born, and within the Helios system, the planets "Athens", "Rome", "Sparta" and "Carthage" were also born.

Over the years, Alpha Centauri became a major center of socioeconomic power, and was, at its zenith, responsible for a third of the

Terran Empire's harvest, process, synthesis, and/or refinement of raw materials as well as the manufacturing and/or production of items

using raw materials. The colonies of Alpha Centauri had become the jewels of the Terran Empire, and the brightest of theses jewels

was Constantinople. Since its humble beginnings, this colony world had become so great, it began to rival the power and glory of Earth

herself. Constantinople was already the capital of the CCAC, and was quickly becoming the new capital of the Terran Empire.

But that was all before the war…

* * *

News of the first contact with an alien race was circulating in Alpha Centauri when the UNSC called for full mobilization and

militarization of Earth and her colonies. The news of contact with another interstellar race was shocking enough, but the revelation that

"The Covenant" had absolutely destroyed the fringe colony world of Harvest and the Covenant's promise of an all-out crusade against

Humanity was even more so. A wave of fear and rage swept through UNSC space and the colonies united under the banner of

Humanity.

In peacetime, Alpha Centauri was the jewel of the UNSC, and in wartime, it became the diamond in the rough. Under the orders to

mobilize, Alpha Centauri produced 100,000,000 military volunteers in a month and, now that the civilian industries had converted into

military ones, the Alpha Centauri colonies began churning out warships by the thousands (almost daily) as well as weapons, munitions

and other supplies by the hundreds of millions of tons. The capital of Humanity's war against the Covenant was Alpha Centauri.

* * *

The UNSC was well aware of the value of Alpha Centauri and its colonies, so the UNSC constructed 100 Super Magnetic

Accelerator Canons for every colony and left garrisons of 4,000,000 UNSC Colonial Marines for every colony as defensive

precautions. Even so, nothing more could be spared for Alpha Centauri, because much was needed on the front.

* * *

In spite of Alpha Centauri's magnificent capacity for making war, it was frivolous. Over the following years since the beginning of

the war with the Covenant, there had been many major battles, which had all (if not most) ended the same catastrophic way. Any minor

Human victory planet-side usually ended up being a major Human defeat star-side, in spite of the heroic efforts of many soldiers and

sailors. This was becoming a familiar ending to the sad stories of Humanity's battles with the Covenant. One after one, the colonies fell,

and the Covenant was getting closer and closer to the diamond in the rough…

* * *

Inevitably, on July 3rd, 2530, a Covenant scout ship discovered the Alpha Centauri penta-solar system, and the Covenant

organized a behemoth fleet of 500,000 warships for an attack. The behemoth fleet consolidated itself into 5 task forces consisting of

100,000 warships each, and each of the 5 task forces was ordered to destroy or capture a specified Centaurian solar system. At an

average of 5 colony worlds per system, a given Covenant task force consolidated itself into individual battle groups consisting of

20,000 warships for the destruction/capture of an objective colony world within its task forces' system. The Covenant fleets included

frigates, destroyers, cruisers and carriers and their individual compliments of fighter/bombers and transport craft. Within the total of the

500,000 warships in the master fleet was, in total, a compliment of Covenant expeditionary planet-side applicable attack forces of

500,000,000 alien personnel strong, (which included every Covenant species; Drones, Grunts, Jackals, Elites, Hunters, and Brutes)

which meant there were 100,000,000 personnel per task force and thus 20,000,000 personnel per battle group. A major strategic

check-mate was that the Covenant attacked Alpha Centauri with no resistance star-side, (other than the orbital MAC canons above

the colonies themselves) and the fact that the Covenant could exchange forces between systems very quickly when the need arose due

to the systems' proximities. Such a tactically and strategically secure and such a massive, powerful force was incredibly formidable...

* * *

The Covenant attack was simultaneous, all task forces and all battle groups hitting their target objectives at the same time. The

Super MAC's in orbit around the colonies in every system destroyed a grand total of 50,000 warships collectively before they were

destroyed or overrun, allowing Covenant forces to make landfall and attack Marine ground forces. In the Helios system, on

Constantinople itself, a garrison of 5,000,000 CCAC Marines (led by Commander-In-Chief, General Stone) met the Covenant army

of 17,000,000 alien warriors (3,000,000 casualties were inflicted by orbital MAC canons above Constantinople, the result of the

MAC canons' destruction 2,000 Covenant ships) at their beachheads...

* * *

Finally, after 7 days of heavy fighting and the deaths of 5,000,000 Covenant warriors and 1,000,000 Marines, the Human defenders

were inevitably overwhelmed by the Covenant legions and were forced on the defensive. What Marines that remained after initial

fighting took up fortified positions in an attempt to protect strategic positions and major areas of industry, agriculture, commerce, as

well as areas of significant civilian populations. Now that pressure on the Covenant landing zones had eased, the Covenant secured a

single, massive beachhead, which was shaped into a circular occupation zone of fortifications and encampments 1000 miles in diameter,

where the Covenant could organize, launch and command strikes into what ground the Marines still held, and at the same time, troops

and supplies could be transferred to and from the occupation zone and the Covenant battle group, which had geo-synchronized itself in

orbit above the occupation zone...

The Marines nicknamed the beachhead "Ground Zero"

* * *

In response to the Covenant invasion, UNSC FLEETCOM (Fleet Command) amassed huge armadas to destroy the Covenant fleets

as well as reinforce and relieve the Marines of the besieged colonies. The UNSC plotted to liberate all of Alpha Centauri, but to retake

the Helios system alone, the UNSC called upon a legendary admiral, a man who had earned the respect and admiration of all

Humanity…

Preston Cole

* * *

On July 15th, 2530, Admiral Preston Cole, commanding a fleet of 27,000 UNSC frigates, destroyers, cruisers and carriers fresh off

the assembly line from the shipyards of Mars, arrived in the Helios system. At the same time, Admirals Roland Freemont, Michael

Stanforth, Ysionris Jeromi, and Carl "Buster" Patterson attacked with similar forces to retake the Cronus, Rhea, Ophion and Crius

systems.

* * *

The Covenant in the Helios system sent what ships they could spare to meet the Human fleet in battle. In the sporadic fighting, Cole's

fleet was cut down to 10,000 ships, and, thanks to the brilliant tactics of the Cole's fleet, the Covenant fleet was obliterated to a

meager 5,000 ships _total_ in the entire Helios system.

* * *

When things went south for the Covenant, the 5,000 remaining Covenant vessels combined into a single battle group to hold

Constantinople. Meanwhile, Cole divided his forces and formed 4 battle groups commanded by his 4 best lieutenants, Captain De

Blanc, Captain Greene, Captain Iglesias, and Captain Wallace, and gave each of them command of 1,250 ships. Each battle group was

ordered to resupply, relieve, and reinforce the Marines of Athens, Sparta, Carthage and Rome, and then help the Marines planet-side

to destroy what Covenant ground forces were left behind after the Covenant fleet's withdrawal to Constantinople.

* * *

Preston Cole himself took command of the 5,000 ship fleet that would liberate Constantinople, but he needed his ships to avoid

more casualties until the battle groups he sent to liberate the other colonies of the Helios system returned. So, Cole and his fleet set up

its own geo-sync orbit on the opposite side of Constantinople, where the Covenant and Cole's fleet could not engage one another

from opposite sides of the planet, and in so doing, Cole positioned the fleet so that he could resupply, relieve, and reinforce what was

left of the original Marine garrison on Constantinople, and organize, launch as well as coordinate ground campaigns without being fired

on by the Covenant. Cole was hoping the Marines could retake Ground Zero before he was forced to engage the Covenant fleet,

because the Covenant ships would undoubtedly move to glass the planet once they had lost their ground. On top of that, Cole needed

to eliminate the Covenant threat before the Covenant fleets in the Rhea, Cronus, Ophion, or Crius systems sent any reinforcements. In a

nutshell, Cole and his fleets were in a race against time.

* * *

So, Cole wasted no time in reinforcing the original Marine garrison on Constantinople, who had noticed the cease of attacks on their

positions on July 15th (the day shit started hitting the fan for the Covenant all over Alpha Centauri), and then took the opportunity to

regroup and make a swift, aggressive offensive against the Covenant. For 5 days, the Marines pounded the Covenant all the way back

into Ground Zero. Then, the Marines quickly and efficiently formed a perimeter around Ground Zero, and constructed a single,

intertwining network of underground tunnels, fortified trenches and bunker complexes. The network itself was loaded with tough and

determined Marines, armed with standard issue weaponry for infantry combat, armor support, as well as anti-armor and anti-air

combat, and the Marines also had artillery and air support close at hand. The Marines could launch clandestine raids or conventional

coordinated attacks in several places at once from their positions at any time they wanted, so the Covenant had put themselves

between a rock and a hard place, because any Covenant breakthrough attempt would be costly, if not unsuccessful.

* * *

So that's where the soldiers of the 1st Battalion 9th Marines - Drop Jet Platoon Charlie came into play. DJP Charlie was ordered

to insert into Covenant airspace under the cover of night in stealth equipped Pelican Dropships (the pelicans were like prowlers, they

used minimal electronic and heat-producing equipment and they were completely invisible to the naked eye). DJP-Charlie would then

perform a HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) parachute jump and, upon landing, were to regroup and move deep into Covenant

territory to raise some hell. The Marines of DJP Charlie had two primary objectives: blow stuff up, and kill Covenant while they

were at it. They would be staying in Covenant territory an undetermined amount of time...

* * *

1st Lieutenant Hal McConnell moved forwards through the crowd of his Marines to the Pelican's cockpit. He turned to the co-pilot,

who looked too young to be in the Navy, and said, "Do we have a go?"

The co-pilot turned to the transmission log; he then turned back to McConnell with a confirmation...

"That's affirmative Big Daddy. Green light for the op. MARSOC (Marine Special Operations Command) is "GO" for

MOONLIGHT FLOWER."

"Affirmative." McConnell said, with the powerful, caveman voice Marines were renowned for.

He turned away from the cockpit and shuffled back to the Pelican's drop ramp; he took a deep breath and exhaled. His eyes

wandered to the digital drop clock that was above the door to the cockpit, it read 05:30, and decided to take an opportunity to check

his armaments...

* * *

His primary weapon was an experimental Heckler & Koch MA5K Carbine. A single MA5K magazine could carry 50 rounds of

7.62mm depleted uranium ammunition, and its selective fire function (semi-auto, burst, and full auto) made the weapon well suited to

any situation, on top of that, the MA5K's were equipped with laser sights which could be converted to flashlights, scopes that could

magnify targets by 3, and, in this special case, suppressors specially fitted for this operation. McConnell slung the rifle over his shoulder

and the magnets on the back if his armor hummed quietly to life and held the weapon tight. McConnell then reached down to withdraw

his Smith & Wesson M6 Magnum from its magnetic holster on his right thigh, and when the ODST Battle Armor detected that it was

McConnell who was withdrawing the weapon, the magnets eased and McConnell gripped the M6. The Magnum was the standard

issue sidearm for DJP Charlie. The M6's magazine supported 10 rounds of solid tungsten steel 44 Magnum ammunition, enough to

down a grizzly bear at close range. On top of that, it was also equipped with a laser sight/flashlight and a suppressor.

* * *

McConnell turned his attention to his Marines just as they were all starting to perform the necessary maintenance and preparations

of their gear. Two Marines, Lance Corporal Kalian Travis and his spotter, Corporal Lyle Gordon, were running a thorough check on

their new weapons. Travis's new rifle, designated the Barrett SS2AMA1, could fire up to 4 .50 caliber depleted uranium discarding

sabot rounds per magazine in a bolt-action fashion, and chosen targets could be magnified by 3, 5, and 10 times. A single round of

the .50 caliber depleted uranium alone was enough to rip through 10 feet of solid concrete. The only problem with the SS2AMA1 was

that it was very loud, the noise and vibration from the weapon would kick up dust and debris from the sniper's environment, a very

dead give away of the sniper's position during daylight hours. At night, on the other hand, the weapon's ability to fire at long range was

paramount to stealth, because any shot fired could hit a Covenant target before the report of the rifle would reach the enemy. So a

target could drop before the Covenant would know what happened, giving the sniper team time to withdraw or displace and find a new

firing position. As for Corporal Lyle Gordon, he was armed with another experimental rifle, designated the Colt BR-55. Gordon's rifle

was not a selective fire weapon like McConnell's. It could only fire in a semi-automatic fashion, one round per pull of the trigger at 30

rounds per magazine. It was no disappointment, however. The BR-55 was equipped with a scope for 3 and 5 times magnification as

well as a laser sight/flashlight and suppressor for this operation, and the 9.5mm depleted uranium rounds made up in bite what the rifle

was lacking in bark. On top of that, Travis and his spotter weren't the only Marines armed with those weapons; there were 2 other

sniper teams, one for each of the 3 squads that made up DJP Charlie. Gold, Red and Blue Squads. The snipers would be invaluable in

this operation.

* * *

Fancy sniper teams weren't going to be enough, though. Another Marine, Private First Class Taylor Carrington, among others, was

armed with weapons more suited to short range combat, one of which was an experimental Heckler & Koch M7 5.56mm explosive-

tip caseless submachine gun, and an experimental Remington 8 gauge M90A1 combat shotgun. Other than a suppressor and a laser

sight/flashlight, the M7 wasn't as heavily modified and glorified as some of the other guns were, but the 60 tungsten steel bullets per

magazine of the weapon itself were real works of art. The rounds would penetrate and then detonate _inside_ the target, damaging the

wound with flame and shrapnel. As for the M90 shotgun, it had no suppressor and no fancy laser sight/flashlight combo, but it could fire

a 10 round magazine hail of 8 gauge tungsten steel buckshot into anything dumb enough to get within effective range. The obvious

downside was its report, but if a firefight got to a point where a shotgun was needed, then the cat would probably be out of the bag

anyway.

* * *

Lastly, every Marine in DJP Charlie was armed with a UNSCCMC (United Nations Space Command Colonial Marine Corps) KA-

BAR, an 11 inch combat/survival knife. The blade itself was 7 inches of solid steel, polished with a carbon fiber finish (to prevent light

glare) and a razor edge of pure chrome, which would never need to be sharpened, and that included the 1 and 3/4ths inch serrated

section towards the base of the blade near the hilt.

Standard issue.

* * *

The fact that UNSC R&D had the tendency to deploy weapons and equipment still in development (probably to gather raw combat

data) into action didn't bother McConnell very much. As long as the guns could kill, he didn't care.

* * *

Luckily, this equipment had the potential to last the entire operation instead of relying on weapons and equipment OSP (on sight

procurement) after initial deployment, thanks to the eggheads in the UNSC R&D Department who had come up with a new delivery

method for weapons and equipment: ordinance and equipment canisters which could be fired from Pelican Dropships, another R&D

system which was still under development that was deployed specially for McConnell and his platoon.

* * *

McConnell again shifted his thoughts to the operation. He opened a communications channel to the pilots operating DJP Charlie's

dropships…

"Be advised, I will drop with Gold Squad on crowd control and secure the Landing Zone before Blue and Red Squads' jump. After

Gold Squad and I land, have the Pelicans circle the Drop Zone for 3 minutes while we secure the LZ."

A moment later, the pilots acknowledged these orders with mixed "Aye, Aye!"'s and "Yes, sir!"'s

McConnell opened another comm. channel to his senior NCO's in the other dropships, and McConnell's booming voice crackled

through their helmet's speakers…

"First Sergeant O'Neil, First Sergeant Jackson, be advised, once my 3 minutes is up, I want you and your squads to jump. Upon

your squads' touchdown I want O'Neil and Blue Squad to secure a perimeter around the LZ. After O'Neil's perimeter is up, First

Sergeant Jackson is to take Red Squad on recon. Jackson, take Red Squad outside O'Neil's perimeter to figure our location and

locate possible targets. Remember to use your call signs during radio communications, the Covenant don't need to know our names. Is

that clear?" McConnell drawled.

"That's affirmative, sir." Replied his NCO's.

"Roger that, McConnell out."

* * *

McConnell then signaled to his Marines to stand up and line up for the jump. They did so immediately, their alloyed boots clanking

against the deck of the dropship. McConnell couldn't see the soldiers' faces through their visors, but he knew what they were thinking

about. He had been on enough missions with these men to know that they were thinking about their mission and their duty. The Marines

were restless, he could tell by their gestures. McConnell spoke in his rough, D.I. voice, captivating the DJP Charlie - Gold Squad...

"Marines? First thing, safety's off. All targets are now free. When the shit hits the fan, and it will, kill all hostiles. No survivors, no

witnesses, and no prisoners, because we have enough already." He said, "Remember what we're here to do. Remember your

purpose, your duty. Remember your dead family, your dead friends, your fellow Marines, and remember that those Covenant bastards

below us are responsible." McConnell paused for effect before continuing by saying, "Now there's gonna be heavy resistance and lots

of shooting. Shoot back without hesitation. Shoot them before they shoot you. Honor The Creed…" (and by "The Creed", McConnell

meant The Rifleman's Creed of the Marines) "Remember, troop. We aren't here to just kill these Covenant bastards…we're here

to _**MURDER THEM**_ and then _**RIP**_ _**OUT**_ their _**GUTS**_ and use them to _**GREASE OUR WEAPONS**_!"

A hardy "HOO-RAH!!!" erupted from DJP Charlie.

McConnell was quiet for a moment and looked at his soldiers, everything was silent.There was only a slight rumble as the Pelican

picked up ionization from Constantinople's atmosphere.

"And always remember this…" McConnell continued, "…no Marine ever won a war by dying for his country. Marines win wars by

making their _**ENEMY **_die for what _**THEIR**_ country! So _**WADE **_into them! Spill _**THEIR **_blood! Shoot _**THEM**_ in the belly! Do this,

and you will come home alive."

Yet another "HOO-RAH!!!" erupted from the soldiers. McConnell recognized the hint of excitement in their voices, and such a

mighty sound sent waves of bloodlust through his soul.

* * *

Even though the Marines were faithful in their leader, McConnell knew he couldn't promise them that they would come home alive.

He had said the same things and given the same speech to 60 other Marines that had died under his command, but he had to believe

that his Marines could come out on top. If he didn't he wouldn't be faithful. _Semper Fidelis, Always Faithful._ He had to believe that...

* * *

McConnell turned swiftly to the drop ramp release lever and disengaged the safety lock. An explosion of air shook the Pelican as

the ramp lowered. Even through his armor, McConnell could feel the harsh cold of Constantinople's lower stratosphere. McConnell

peered outside, down to the surface of Constantinople. It was dark, and very beautiful, but he could see the hustle and bustle of the

Covenant invaders, the sheer number of them seemed to distinguish that area of the planet from the rest of it, it was a deeper shade of

purples and violets. It had to be wall to wall with Covenant down there...

"_Good_," McConnell thought, "_wouldn't want to disappoint the taxpayers_."

He turned to his Marines, they stood, faithfully; all eyes were on him, awaiting his orders…

…and then he waved them forward…

* * *

One after one, McConnell Marines jumped faithfully out of the Pelican, towards the damning surface of Constantinople, their

faithfulness to God and the Marine Corps made them thirst for the blood of the alien invaders and made them blind to their uncertain

fates, they knew only their duty, and how to make victory theirs so that they can glorify the Marine Corps and the Human Race.

Soon McConnell was alone in Bravo-135…it was his turn to take the leap of faith…

* * *

He took a deep breath and crossed himself. "In nomine Patris, et Fillii, et Spiritus Sancti." He whispered, "Amen." He stood

perfectly still at the edge of the ramp, and then let himself fall forward. He felt the blood in his body _rush_ through his veins and closed

his eyes, lost in the sensation, as he dropped through the air like a rock, and through gritted teeth and the harsh, cold wind he said,

breathlessly…

"Hail Mary."

A/N

Those of you who don't know what an MA5K Carbine is, I suspect that it is the small assault rifle you see two of the three Spartans wielding on the cover of the fourth Halo novel, Halo: Ghosts of Onyx. I'm not sure, though. What you see the two Spartans wielding on the cover of Halo: Ghosts of Onyx could possibly be the MA2B used by the early Spartan II's in the first Halo novel, Halo: The Fall of Reach. However, the MA2B was described in Halo: The Fall of Reach and its description does not resemble the weapons the two Spartans on the cover of Halo: Ghost of Onyx were wielding. Also, the MA2B wasn't referred to in Halo: Ghost of Onyx, but the MA5K was. Anyways, for the purpose of this fan-fic, I am going to say that the MA5K mentioned in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx is, in fact, the small assault rifle that the two Spartans are wielding on the cover of the book the MA5K is mentioned in, makes sense doesn't it? Anyway, that was fun. Next chapter I'm gonna get into some serious combat, so sit tight and make sure to review. And yes, I know I took parts of the pep speech from General George S. Patton, so don't hassle me about it, and yes, I know I threw in names of modern weapon manufacturers to the Halo weaponry, but I thought it would be cool, so don't hassle me about that either. Everything else is a "GO".

Semper Fidelis


End file.
